Cope-to-drag clamping facilities for mold assembling installation



Jun 28, 1960 T. A. DEAKlNs ETAL COPE-TO-DRAG CLAMPING FACILITIES FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING INSTALLATION 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 9, 1958 222:22 nanou .m. 3.30.2.. @59:50

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COPE-TO-DRAG CLAMPING FACILITIES FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING INSTALLATION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1958 Fig. 2.

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June 28, 1960 T. A. Dr-:AKINS ETAI- COPE-TO-DRAG CLAMPING FACILITIES FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING INSTALLATION 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 9. 1958 gton, Jr. wf 1 wmm NN Tem June 28, 1960 Filed June 9, 1958 T. A. DEAKINS ETAL COPE-TO-DRAG CLAMPING FACILITIES FOR MOLD ASSEMBLING INSTALLATION 5 Sheets-Sheet, 4

Pourlng Position lNVENjrORs T. A. Denklns J. A. Losoter S. C. Norhinqton, Jr.

TTOR EY Fig. 5.

June 28, 1960 T. A. DEAKINS EVAL COPE-TO-DRAG CLAMPING FACILITIES FOR MOLD Filed June 9, 1958 7 4 D ag 0 lf2 ASSEMBLING INSTALLATION l-IIIJIII 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Cope INVENTORS 462 T. A. Deukins J. A. Losufr S. C. Northmgton, Jr.

ATTORN EY COPE-TO-DRAG CLAMPING FACILITIES FOR MGLD ASSEMBLING INSTALLATION lFiled rune 9, 1958ser. No. 740,79; i 6 ciaims. (cuz-31) This invention relates to new and improved means for @ed Sees een@ clamping firmly together the cope and drag flasks of assembled foundry molds while and after molten metal is'being poured into the cast-ing cavities of those molds; and the subject matter ofthe present application is in part disclosed by and has in part been reproduced from. an 'earlier application Serial'No. 731,426'wh1ich was filed April 2s, 195s in the names of Thomas A Deakins 'l and John A.`Lasater and Samuel C. Northington, lr. and which is entitled Mechanized Facilities for Producing janjdAssembling Foundry Molds of Alternately Dilfering Types and of which vthis presentapplicationis acontinuation-in-part'.

Broadly stated, the objectof this invention is to pro'- vide improvedcope-to-drag clamping means which are novelly organized to function in and-uniquely coordinate with mold assembling systems such asv are ldisclosed andV claimed by the aforesaid earlier application Serial 731,426 and also by aV stillearlier application Serial 200,899 which Was filed December `15, 1950, now abandoned, in the names=of Samuel C; Northiington Ir.` and lohn A.

I Lasater andwhich on May 31, 1955 was replaced by a continuation application Serial 511,941 then led on the same subject matter under title of Apparatus and Method for Assembling Foundry Molds and which continuation application issued on September9, 1958 as U.S. Patent No. 2,850,775. .t Y

A more specific object is to equip each pouring and cooling track of a mold assembling system such as application Serial 731,426 representstwith cope-to-drag clamping facilities which apply holding force only upon those assembled molds along the track that are within 'a track length span which includes and follows the point at which the molds have molten metal poured thereinto.

Another object is to provide a cope-to-drag clamping organization which holds the mold asks together during pouring and while the poured metal is solidifying but which thereafter leaves the cope ifull free for subsequent stripping from the drag.

. Additional objects and advantages will become apparent as the disclosure and description hereof proceeds.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown by the accompanying drawings'wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticshowing in -top plan view of the mold assembling installation which our earlier applicationSerial 731,426 discloses and claims and which in cludes mold pouring and `cooling tracks equipped with the cope-to-drag clamping means o-f this invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded v-iew -showing'the drag Aiiask and cope flask and core components of one of the molds which the Fig. l installation assembles and pours;

. Fig. i3' indicates how the drag andcope and core of Fig. 2 appear after having been. brought together by the central assembling machine ofsaid installation to produce an assembled mold;

Fig. 4 illustrates the Station ,V apparatus of Fig. l in an enlarged top planiview that reproduces Fig. 39 of earlier application Sr ia1 73 1.,42,6 and thatshows vcertain ice details of the mold transfer car vand of the cooperating right and left ejector carriages by which A molds and B molds from the assembling machine respectively are fed upon the right and left pouring and cooling tracks that extend from. Station V to the associated Station VI of Fig. l where copestripping and drag, turn over take place; Fig. S isan enlarged top plan view of the A :mold pouring and cooling track 428 of Figs.,l` and-4l showing the cope-to-drag clamping'means of this invention applied thereto in the llength span portion thereof which Fig. 1 designates as Z;' 1^ Fig. 6 is a side elevation on line 6'4-6 of Fig. 5VV showing two of the four hydraulic cylinders utilizedA at the pouring apparatus location to clamp together the cope and drag asks of each mold which said track delivers to that location for the purpose of having molten metal poured thereinto;.

jFig.l 7 is an end elevation, partly in section, on line "7-7 of Figs. 1, 4 and 5 showing how the left and right pairs Aof said four cylinders at such pour location serve to 'apply clamping force upon each mold which arrives at said location and which there receives molten metal fromthe Fig. l pouring means; and

Fig. 8 is an end elevation, also partly in "section, on line 8 8 of Figs. lf, 4 and 5 which shows two of the fourteen tension springs utilized at each ofthe next four, mold'locations along the pouring and cooling trackA for the'pur'pose of applying downward holding force upon the copeside bars of 'eachpoured mold that advances locations. Y

lalong the track into and-jthrough-those succeeding four The mold components tope assembled.,

clude a lower flask half 12 referred to as the dragf an upper flask half v14 referred to as the cope, suitable sand V15 or the like packed into both the drag and the cope for receiving cavity impressions 16'from `the casting pattern (not shown), and cores 15 (sandV or other) which are placed Within the mold cavity to forma hollow interior for the castings to be produced. l

In the mold 12.-14 here illustrated 'the aforesaid casting pattern and the cooperating cores 1.5.are both shaped to provide for simultaneously casting four quartervbend soil pipe iittings in each such-mold when the Fig. 2 parts thereof are assembled as represented by Fig. 3. .Said assembled mold as here shown by these Figs.2-3 will hereinafter be referred to as of the' A type; andthe aforementioned quarter bend elbo'ws which are cast therein are shown by our earlier application Serial 731,426 in Fig. 2 thereof at 10A. VWhen viewed externally this A type moldY can be distinguished byjthe central positioning of its sprue openings 23; see, for example, the line of these assembled A type'fmolds whichFig.` V1

hereof represents on the right 'pouring and cooling track l Another or B type of mold Whichalso'willjbe re'- ferred to at later` points in the descriptionhereof has its sprue opening 23 offset towards oneendiand a line of assembled B type molds with such offset s'prue openings is represented by Fig. l hereof on the left po'unng and cooling track 430 of the Fig. 1 system. Such B type molds dier internally from the illustrative A type molds of Fi gs. .Z -3V hereof inv that the patternstnotshown) over which the drags 12 and copes 14 thereof are charged with sand and the cooperating cores 15 (also not shown) are shaped for the production of some different form of casting, such as the Y fitting which our earlier application Serial 731,426 shows at B in Fig. 7 thereof.

Each drag ilask 12 and each cope flask'14 both for the A typel mold of Figs. 2-3 and' for the B type mold referred to above is provided with vleft and right side support bars 28 that during assembly of the mold parts are utilized in the way which earlier applications Serial 511,941 and Serial 731,426 both show and explain.

, The drag diasks 12 for these A and B type molds further are provided with end bumpers designated 466 in each of `Figs. 2,'3 and 5 hereof; These v'bumpers 466 Von the drag ends project lengthwise slightly beyond the corresponding end (parts of the mating copes 14 which are assembled upon the drags; and this relationship assures that end-to-end pushing force in a line of assembled molds, as .on the A track 428 or on the B track 430 of Fig. 1, all will be transmitted through the bottom drags 12 with none of it being applied to the top copes 14 when resting upon these drags in the way which Fig. 3 shows.

`Accurate alignment of each top cope 14 with the bottom drag 12 upon which it is assembled is maintained, both inthe A type molds and in the B type molds, by pins 17 which upstand from the drag ends as shown by Fig. 2 and over which mating brackets 18 on the cope ends fit asshown by Fig. 3. l v p In the foundry installation yupon which Vthe drawings hereof arebased, the molds to be prepared and assembled and poured and otherwise handled are relatively large and comparatively heavy. Each assembled mold shown at 12--14 in Fig.A l hereof thus weighs approximately 2000 ,pounds before pouring and about 2200 pounds after molted metal has been filled thereinto; and it has inside dimensions Yof 32 inches by 36 inches and is 18 inches tall (bottom of drag to top of cope). Weights and sizes of this magnitude rule out manual handling and make mechanized manipulation imperative.

The complete mold assembling system of Fig. I

The novel -cope-to-drag clamping facilities of the present invention relate primarily to that portion of the Fig. `1 system of mold assembly which lies between the Mold- 'Off Station V thereof and the Cope Stripper and Drag Turn rOver Station VI thereof. By way of introduction it now will be pointed out that said complete system of Fig. 1 is built around the central mold Vassembling machine represented at .30 and is organized, as taught by vour earlier application Serial 731,426, to accomplish the preparation and assembly and pouring and breaking up .of foundry molds 12-14 (Fig. 3 hereof) which alter- 'nately are of the A type (represented on the right pouring and cooling track 428) and of the B type (repre- :sented on theleft pouring and cooling track .430).

This .central machine 30 .is equipped with a turret which is .rotatable about `a vertical axis and which is provided with .tive arm heads 60 that are spaced circumferentially (72 apart) around the turret. vEach of these five arm heads 60 is mounted forroll over about a horizontal axis radial to the turret center; and carried by each head 60 are upper and lower rsets of ask receiving arms that extend outwardly from the headin radial relation to the turret. Such upper and lower arm sets on each of the five turret .heads 60 are arranged to be moved towards and away 'from each other; and each ofthese ten arm -sets (details lnot .fully .shown here) vis .adapted to .have a drag flask 12 or a cope iiask 14 ora core box (not here shown) with cores 15 therein inserted endwise into the arms and 'there supported .via the aforementioned left and right side Vbars '28 '(Figs. ,I2-3) on the inserted iiask or box.

Provision 'is made for successively advancing this turrt Jof -central machine 30 through the angular distance I"(72") :between arm heads 60 lwhereby each set Vof upper and lower Yarms progressively occupies Yat-rest positions 4 Y spaced around the turret peripherys rotative path at the station locations designated I-II-III--IV-V in Fig. l.

At the first or Drag-On Station I of Fig. 1 use is made of a drag-charging machine and associated facilities that function to ,insert into the upper arms of the turret heads 60 there successively coming to rest sand charged drag asks 12 (Fig. 2.) which alternately are of the A mold type `and .of the B mold type and each of which has .its pattern impression 16 facing down.

At the second or Core-On Station Iltof Fig. 1 there are provided two parallel sets of `core forming -machines NSA-186A and 185B-186B plus outer and .inner cooperating transfer cars 368 and 370; and these facilities function to insert into the lower arms of the turret heads 60 there successively coming 'to rest rcoreboxes (designated 26 in Fig. 1) with finished `cores15 (Fig. 2) therein, which cores 15 are of the same alternate A mold type and B mold type as the mating drag flasks 12 in the upper arms of those receiving heads 60 and each of which faces up from its carrying box.

Following Station ll is a third or Core-Box-Oii Station shown at III in Fig. l; and cooperating with the turret of central machine 30 .are control means responsive to advancement by the turret of each arm head 60 from Station Il to Station Ill for first moving the upper and lower arms on that head together thus. bringing the cores 15 into the drag 127s ,pattern .cavity 16 (Eig. 2) and then rolling said arms throughv about the head axis thus placing the drag 12 on the bottom and the cores 1S on top thereof with the core box 26 above the .cores Vand then moving the two arms away vfrom each other thus lifting the coreboxr26 free both .of the drag 12 and the cores 1.5 now restini.T in the drags pattern cavity. Y At the aforesaid iCore-Box-Ofi Station HI is mechafnism 208-210-211-212 for withdrawing the empty and now inverted core boxes 26 out ofthe upper arms of the turret heads -60 there successively coming to rest, for turning each Withdrawn core box over and interchanging its two ends, and for returning those turned over boxes 26 to Core-On Station Il via .a gravity track 187 in the same alternate A type and B type order as the boxes come out of machine 30 at HI.

At the fourth or CopeOn.Station IV use is made of a cope-charging machine 240 and associated facilities that function to insert into the now-empty upper arms of the turret heads 60 there successively coming to rest sand charged cope iiasks 14 (Fig. .2) which are of the same alternate A mold typeand B" mold-type as the mating drag asks .12 inthe lower :arms of those receiving heads 60 and each of which has its pattern impression `facing down.

Following Station IV is a fifth or Mold-Oli Station shown yat V in Fig. 1; and cooperating with the turret of central machine 30 .are lcontrol .means responsive to advancement by the turret of each arm head 60 from Station lV to Station V for moving the `upper and lower 'arms :of that head together thus lbringing the cope 1'4 down upon the drag .12 with Athe copes pattern `cavity fitting over vthe-.cores 15 now supported by the drag.

At the aforesaid Mold-Off Station V s a transfer car 424 plus cooperating .facilities `for withdrawing from the two closed arms of each yturrethead 60'there coming to rest the now assembled mold Ymade up Yof the drag 12 and cores 1S andcope 14 brought together as just described; a nd the molds 12-14 thus Withdrawn upon transfer car i424 ,alternately are of the .A type and the B type earlier discussed.

And cooperating with .central machine .302s` vturret 'are further control means responsive to advancement by the `turret of each arm head 60 from Station V to the first :named Drag-On Station EI for moving the 'upper :and lower arms on that head away from each other preparatory to repeating the mold'assembly cycle :outlinedabove In the installation reproduced by Fig. 1 hereof ffjrom our earlier application Serial '731y426 -the -so v'assembled .A." type and B type molds [as alternately taken from machine 30 at Station V are delivered by the aforesaid transfer car 424 into respective register with the earlier mentioned right pouring and cooling track 428 for those A molds and with the companion left pouring and cooling' track 430 for those B molds. Fig. 4 hereof reproduces Fig. 39 from said earlier application Serial 7 3 1,'426 vand-shows the StationV almaratusV by which the sodelivered .A`moldsa'ndv B molds are fed from car 424 upon those two pouring and cooling tracks.'A

Represented by Fig.v 41l1er`eof are'the take-olf `carriage 262' which' through latch 272 pullseach assembled mold `12'-14 from the Station .V'machine arms 61--62 and upon` saidv transfercar 424, lall in the manner'which ,'earlie'rapplic'ahon Serial' 731,426 explains by reference 'to its Fig; 4l;.` the cylinder 438 which, when controlled asv per Fig. 40 of earlier application Serial 731,426, drives can 424 back and forth between the entrance ends of the aforementioned right and left tracks i428 and 430; the right carriage 427 with driving cylinder 4141 which via upstanding member 443 (more fully shown by Fig. 42 of earlier appln. Serial 731,426)v pushes each assembled A mold from car 424 upon said right pouring and cooling'track 428; and theleft carriage 429 with driving cylinder 445 which via upstanding member 447- pushes each assembledB mold from car 424 upon said left pouring andcooling track 430. These left and right feed cylinders 445 and 441 are "governed by'valves SV18 `and1SV19 and their associated control circuits; as our earlier application' Serial `73;1,f426 fullyexplains byreference toits rig- 39. Dur'ingoperatior ofthe Fig.'l moldas'sembling sysL tern, the `above described Station V apparatus shown in Fig. thereof alternatelywithdrawsassembled .A'and B? molds 'from thecentral machine 30 and atthesame time feeds all such Afmolds successivelyupon'the entrance len'clwof'righttpouring and cooling track f428 and yalso feeds allisuch .FVB. moldssuccessively upon the en- :trance end .of the leftpouring and cooling track 430'.

f' Once on its aforesaid track,V each of these assembled 'molds 12;.14 rides on left and right sets of side rollers 'which are shownat l,462 in each of Figs. 4 5-64748 as contacting and imparting support to the left and right ycentralized onthe track 42S or 430 (Figs. l and 4) along -whichiit is proceeding.

?The` feedingnof each additional mold upon'the entrance end ofl each: of thesetracks 42S and 430. is accompanied -bya pushingtvia the aforementioned drag bumpers 466) of all other assembled molds-thereahead on that :track falong said track towards the exit end thereof; and. during Athe time lthat each mold occupies the second position from .its` trackentrance end," molten metal `is poured into the :molds sprue opening 23 via suitable apparatus represented in Fig. 1 at 460A for the A track '428 and at '460B `forthe B track 460B.`

These right and left'pouringand cooling tracks 428 and 430 are suiiciently long as to permit the castings (see Figs. 7-8) in each of the A molds so pouredrat `460A and the castings ineach of the B molds so poured stripper and mold elevator 470 plus a drag turnover 472.

By `this 'transfer'car 468 .and associated facilities the -poured .AVandfB molds arriving at Station. VI via tracks 428`and1|430 are fed into said cope stripper and mold elevator-A470 successively and inalternate Af and track 415 by which it is returned to the cope charging 'apparatus 246' at Station IV. V

The mold drag 12'and castingsY 10 from which the cope 114 has beenv stripped; as outlined above, 'now is transferred from the elevator ,47 0 into the Station Vlturn over device 472. After receiving said drag 12 with castings, device 472 swings counterclockwise aroundk a verti cal axis to the dotted line position of Fig; l Where it is in register with a track 532 which leads to a casting shakeout 494 and a drag shakeout `492'. Here the device 472 rotates around a horizontal axis through 180 and turns the drag llask 12 over with an accompanying dropping of the castings 10 out of the drag.

Said dropped out castings .10 next are`pushed from device 472 upon theY casting shakeout 494; the turned over drag flask 12 likewise is advanced by way ofV track 532 'upon the drag shakeout 492 where'all sand is tremoved therefrom; and this having beenidone ,they nowempty drag -llarsk` 12-passesgfrom 'shakeout -492 Lupen a Vdow nwardly' inclined grayitytrack 356 by which -it is returned to the drag charging apparatus 160 Vat StationI.

t L Meanwhile the mold castings 10 as delivered from said Iturned over drag 12 upon the casting .shakeout- 494V in the `conveyor 502 said linished castings 10 are carried away from Station vVl (to ther right in Fig. l) and delivered yinto suitable cleaning equipment (not shown)v through which they pass in preparation for shipment.

bottom Aedges`V of the molds drag flask` 1'2. All of these lrollers.@preferablyihave the indicated outer side anges fby which said ydrag`iiask 12 of each carriedmold is kept 'mold end clamps-which earlier application In goingV through and being acted upon by our Station VI apparatus, each drag 12 of an A type m'old yields the four solidified castings which Fig. l shows at V10A on conveyor 502 at the extreme right thereof, while each drag 12 of a B type mold ysimilarly yields the four solidified castings which Fig. 1 shows at `10B closer to Station VI. Since the assembled and poured molds from Station V are fed into said Station VI apparatus in alternate A and B order, the sets of finished castings 111A and 10B from the turned over drags12 thus also are delivered in the same alternate A and B'sequence upon the castings conveyor 502; and they there thus line themselves up in the alternate A and B groups which Fig. l represents.

The new cop etodrag clamping means orf our invention Our new. cope-to-drag clamping facilities of the present invention are installed in the just described assembling system of Fig. 1 along each of the pouring and cooling tracks 428 and 430 between Mold-Off Station V and Cope Stripper and Drag Turn Over Station VI; they function to hold the cope 14 of each mold in said A line 428 and the cope 14 of each mold in said B line 430 firmly against the mold drag 12 therebeneath while and after molten metal is being poured into theA mold; as from the ladle 450 of Fig. 7; and they take the place of and do the same thing (but in a better way) as vthe conventional Serial 511,941 shows at 19 in its Figs. 4 5. t Y

Y At the location on track 428 of A mold alignment with the Fig. 1 pouring apparatus 460A and-atfthe loca- ,tion on track`43il of B mold alignment with. the Fig. l pouring apparatus 460B, these clamping means utilize the four hydraulic cylinders (two on mold left plus two on mold right) which Figs. 5-6-7 show at 702; and at each ofthe four immediately following mold locations on these two tracks 428 and 430 our ilask holding means ".7 vutilize the fourteen tension springsV which Figs. 5, 6 and 8.rrepresent at 704. Six lsuch tension .springs 704 also are shown by Fig. .5 as supplementing `the four clamping cylinders 702 at the Fig. 7 pouring location there'represented.

Figs. l and each designate as Z the length of track span that includes the tive lmold positions which are so .equipped with our cope-to-drag holding facilities. Such `fivesposition length of this span Z is merely illustrative, because in an operating installation the particular length actually required will be governed both by how many pouredmolds per minute are advanced along the track away from the pouringl location, and by how much mass of metal the-castings 10 of .those poured molds contain. As thespeed of `poured mold travel along the cooling track increases, more `track length must be included in span Z if the poured metal is to solidify before each mold leaves that span; and the same is ltrue as the thickness and mass of the molten metal inthe poured castings is made greater and the time needed for solidiiication becomes correspondingly longer.

Looking first at .the pouring location clamp devices '7020i Figs. .5-6-7, each of these four cylinders has upper and lower ports 706 and 7.07 which at proper times re- 4ceive pressure fluid from a -hydraulic control valve SV24 With which fluid pressure and'exhaust lines 276 and 277 -are connected in the manner shown by Fig. 7. The left and right windingsof this valve are selectively energized over a switch 708 from electrical supply conductors `28:0 -and 281.

Switch 708 when in the represented right or clamp positionener-gizes the right SV24 winding and byrshifting 'the valve elements to the right causes pressure fluid from l-ine 276 to flow v ia conduit 706 into the top ports of all four of the cylinders 702. The resultant downward movement of all four pistons 703 pulls Vthe four upper pivoted clamp arms 709 towards the four lower pivoted clamp arms 700 and in this way .sets up clamping lforces which rollers 710 on the upper arm ends exert down- `War-dly upon the side bars 28 of the cope flask 14 and which rollers 711 on the lower arm ends exert upwardly upon the side bars 28 of the drag flask 12. Such forces pull and hold that cope firmly against the mold drag 12 therebeneath; andthe clamping force applied in this novel Way is of Athe order of Amany hundred pounds.

The aforesaid switch 708 of Fig. 7 is moved to this right -or clamp position each time that an assembled mold 12-14 arrives on track rollers 462 into said pouring position where the mold sprue opening ,23 is in register with the spout `of the Fig. 7 pouring ladle 460; and the resultant clamping forces described above are applied and maintained during the entire time that molten metal 10' is being poured into the mold.

If desired said pouring ladle 460 can be interlocked with'the clamp cylinders 702 in such manner that move- -rnent ofthe 'ladle out of its untilted or level position is possible only Awhen said switch 708 is in said clamp position. This may he done through the use of a latch 712 normally held by spring 713 over the end of ladle arm '714 when ladle 460 is level or untilted, but pulled "to the right out of engagement with arm 714 when solenoid 715 is energized over conductors 716 and switch 708 in its right clamp position. Ladle 460 then and only then can be tilted to accomplish the pouring which Fig. 7 represents.

Following completion of such pouring, ,switch 708 isi' on the mold cope 14 (see Fig. 7) while removing the I s. upwardly acting clamping force vfrom the lower rollers .7.11. '.Compressionsprings 7.01 beneath the lower clamp yarms7ti) vnow continue to hold .those arms in the generally horizontal position which Fig. 7 represents.. Also, latch 712 now is moved by spring 713 (solenoid 715 being deenergized) tothe left over the end of arm 714 thereby locking ladle 4.60. inthe level or untilted position.

The thus poured mold now is free for movement .out of the pouring position shown by Figs. 7 and 1 and so marked in Fig. 5. But while in that position before such movement the poured mold has its cope and drag held together by .the several tension springs 704 which Fig. 5 shows between `and beside the four clamp cylinders 702 and each of'which is arranged as described below.

The mentioned movement of the mold out of said pouring position takes place when another assembled mold is pushed at Station V upon the entrance end .of the pouring and cooling track; Iand this advances said just poured mold into the first cooling position that is so designated in Fig. 5. There the side bars 28 ofthe mold cope 14 continue under and are engaged by rollers 719 on the ends of pivoted arms 718.

Each Vof these arms 718 throughout the entire track span Z 'is pulled downwardly by its earlier described tension spring 704; and each of these .springs 704 can it desired be provided with suitable means (not shown) for adjusting the tension.. Stop bolts 720 limit downward movement of arms 718 to a point where the lower edge -of each roller 719 stays slightly above the bottom face of each cope side bar 28 on the poured mold that is newly arriving. Provision of the taper which Figures 2, 3, y5 and 6 show at 7.22' onthe ends of said cope side vbars V28 enables those bars on said newly arriving mold to :pass under said rollers 719.

By Vraising the holding arms718 against springsy 704, Asuch passage builds up a suitablylarge holding force which' acts downwardly upon these end-'tapered side bars 28 of the mold cope A14 and thereby holds that cope frrnly .down upon the mold drag 12 therebeneath. That drag .rests upon and is supported by the track rollers 462; and said holding force continues to be applied to the cope side bars 28 as long as the mold remains in said rst cooling position of Fig. 5.

In later moving along the track out of said first cooling position and into the next or second cooling position of Fig. 5, the vpoured mold has applied thereto while in the latter position a vcope-to-drag holding force which again is produced by springs 704 in the same manner as just explained. And in thereafter moving further along the track into the third and then on into the fourth cooling position of Fig. 1, the very same copeto-.drag holding actions yare repeated.

Still further movement by the mold beyond the span of track length designated Z in Fig. l is accompanied by a complete freeing of the ,mold from all of the clamping and loading forces which were applied thereto'while the mold was in said track span Z.

Upon later arrival at Station VI, `at the exit ends of -tracks 428 and 430, the cope 14 of each of these molds in both the A line 428 and the B line 430 thus no longer is secured to its associated drag 12 and hence may freely be lifted therefrom without the need of the unfastening operation that is required when using mold end clamps of the conventional type which earlier applic'ation Serial 511,941 shows at 19 in its Figs. 4-5.

Our inventive improvements as here shown and described are therefore extensive in their Vapplication and hence are not to be =limited to the specic form here disclosed b y way of illustration.

What-We claim is:

l. Inr an installation for assembling and pouring foundrymolds, .the combination of a pouring and cooling track, means for feeding assembled molds successively .upon the fentrance end of .that track with 4accompanying pushing of other assembled molds thereahead'on 'the l-ue-r track along said track towards the exit end thereof, each of said Iassembled molds being made up of a drag flask which is equipped with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides and which carries on its topa cope ilask that likewise is provided with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides, apparatus adjacent said track near said entrance end thereof for pouring molten metal into each of the said assembled molds which comes into register with that apparatus, and cope-to-drag holding means along each of the right and left sides of said track within a length span thereof which includes and follows the location of said pouring apparatus, said left-side-track means and said right-side-track means being operative respectively to engage and pull towards one another the said left side bars of the cope and drag and the said right side bars of the cope and drag with an accompanying forcing of the cope ask of each of the molds that is on said track within said length span rmly down upon the mold drag therebeneath whereby the cope and drag asks of each of those molds are securely held together while and after said molten metal is being poured into the mold.

2. ln a mold assembling installation which utilizes a pouring and cooling track plus means for feeding assembled molds successively upon the entrance end of that track with accompanying pushing of other assembled molds thereahead on the track along said track towards the exit end thereofeach of said assembled molds being made up of a drag flask which is equipped with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides and which carries on its top a cope ask that likewise is provided with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides, the-combination of apparatus associated with said track near the said entrance end thereof for pouring molten metal into each of the said assembled molds which is advanced upon that track into a position of register withA said apparatus, cope-to-drag clamping devices at said pouring position there disposed along each of the left and right sides of said track and being normally released but effective when activated to engage and pull towards oneanother the said left side bars of the cope 'and drag and the said right side bars ofthe cope and drag with an accompanying holding of the cope tiask of each such registering mold firmly down upon the mold drag therebeneath, and means operative whilesaid molten metal is being poured intoy each registering mold for activating said devices and causing them then to hold the cope and drag asks of that mold securely together.

3.Y The combination defined by claim 2rwherein said cope-to-drag holding devices along the left and right track sides are in the form of hydraulic cylinders.

4. In a mold assembling system, the combination of a pouring and cooling track, means for feeding assembled molds successively upon the entrance end of that track with accompanying pushing of other assembled molds thereahead on the track along said track towards the exit end thereof, each of said assembled molds being made up of a drag flask which is equipped with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides 'and which carries on its top a cope ask that likewise is provided Iwith left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides, apparatus associated with said track near the said entrance end thereof for` pouring molten metal into each of the said assembled molds Iwhich is advanced upon that track into a position of register with said apparatus, cope-to-drag clamping devices at said pouring position there disposed along each of the left and right sides of said track and being operative respectively to engage and pull towards one another the said left side bars of the cope and drag and the said right side bars of the cope and drag with an accompanying holding of the cope flask of each such registering mold rmly down upon the mold drag therebeactas/V15 `freely moveableout ofthe aforesaid pouringiposition,

and other sets of cope-to-drag holding means disposed along said track at succeeding mold positions immediately following the said pouring position, each said'other holding means set being effective to exert upon each poured mold coming into register therewith a force which continues to hold the cope and drag flasks of that mold together while cooling of the poured castings within the mold is in progress.

5. In a mold assembling installation, a pouring and cooling track, means for feeding assembled molds successively upon the entrance end of that track with accompanying -pushing of other assembled molds thereahead on the track along said track towards the exit end thereof, each of said assembled molds being made up of a drag flask which .is equipped with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides and which carries on its top a cope flask that likewise is provided with left and right outer support bars extending cope and drag side bars with 'an accompanying holding 1 of the cope tiask of each such registering mold trmly down yupon the mold drag therebeneath while molten metal is being received by the mold from said apparatus, and other sets ofcope-to-drag holding means disposed along said track at succeeding mold positions immediately following the aforesaid pouring position and consisting of spring-loaded members on the two track sides arranged to exert upon the cope of each poured mold coming Iinto `register therewith a downward force which continues to hold that cope against the track-supported mold drag therebeneath while cooling of the poured castings within the mold is in progress.

6. an Vinstallation for assembling and pouring foundry molds, the combination of a pouring and Vcool- .ing track, means for feeding assembled molds successively uponthe entrance end of that track with accompanying pushing of other assembled molds thereahead onthe track along said track towards the exit end thereof, each of said assembled molds being made up of a drag ask which is equipped with left and right outer support bars extending along its left and right sides and which carries on its top a cope Vflask that likewise is provided with left and right outer support hars extending along its left and night sides, apparatus associated with said track near said entrance end thereof for pouring molten metal into each of the said assembled molds which is advanced upon that .track into a position of register 'with said apparatus, cope-to-drag clamping devices at said pouring position there disposed along each of the left and right sides of said track and being effective when activated to engage and pull towards one another the said left side bars of the cope and drag and the said right side bars of the cope and drag with an accompanying holding of the cope ask of each such registering mold irrnly down upon the mold drag therebeneath while molten metal is being received by the mold from said apparatus, and other copeto-drag holding means disposed along said track throughout a limited cooling span thereof immediately following said pouring position and serving to exert upon the cope of each poured mold coming into register therewith a downward force which continues to hold that cope against its track-supported drag therebeneath while 11 V oolipg` .pf -theastingvs the mold is in progressig said last mentioned holdvpg force being appl'edto' 'Sad poured molds'bn'ly while ihCY are within .the afoemen- '.tioned limited span of @heling trck whereby each `su'ch poured mold with c o o1ed tastings ftherein'later 'is delrveljged `to .the exit .epd f said .traek with'the dope thereof `f u` l1y free for'subsequeltt stripping fom the drag and the astipgs thereof.v

j egevrrenesrfted i1; the file Qf this patent UN-iTED STATES-l PATENTS Waechter yet al. Apr. 13, 1909 Wurster Apr. 18, 1939 Northington et al Sept. 9, 1958 

